Britain`s royal baby: `Thrilled` Queen visits great-grandson for first time

London: A "thrilled" Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday made a half-hour "private visit" to see her two-day-old great-grandson, the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The Queen made the short journey from Buckingham Palace to Kensington Palace, William and Kate`s home in central London to see the baby, the third in line to the British throne after Prince Charles and Prince William.
She visited without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, as he continues to recover from abdominal surgery.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said it was "now private and quiet time for them to get to know their son".

The 87-year-old monarch had said she was "thrilled" at the arrival of her third great-grandson during a reception at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

Her visit came ahead of her departure on Friday for Balmoral in Scotland for her traditional summer break.

Earlier, the Queen had said that she hoped to be able to see the baby before setting off on her summer break and the new royal baby seems to have followed her orders.

Shortly after the Queen`s visit, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left Kensington Palace to pay a visit to Middleton`s house in Bucklebury with their newborn son.

The Queen was not the first visitor to meet the royal baby prince. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine`s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, paid visits to the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Prince Charles visited his first grandchild and the third in line to Britain`s throne, accompanied by his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles.

He had triggered a frenzy among the waiting reporters and camerapersons as he said on his departure: "He (royal baby) is marvellous. You will see in a minute".

The media speculation now centres around how soon the world will get to know the name of Britain`s newest Prince.

George is the bookies favourite for the first name of the prince, who is destined to be king one day. James and Alexander are among other names on a short-list.

Royal fans waited seven days before the name of a newborn Prince William was announced in 1982, and there was a wait of a month following the Prince Charles`s birth in 1948.

The third in line to the throne and his parents had emerged from St. Mary`s Hospital in Paddington yesterday evening to a flurry of flashbulbs from the swarm of cameras waiting to capture the first glimpse of the royal baby born on Monday.

The world got its first glimpse of the baby destined to be Britain`s King one day as William and Kate posed with their newborn son while leaving hospital for ecstatic Britons to capture the historic moment.

The baby raised a tiny hand above his white blankets but remained quiet.

Speaking outside the hospital, William said they were "working on a name" and would choose one "as soon as we can".

"He has a good pair of lungs on him and he`s quite heavy. We are still working on a name," said William, taking the little prince from his wife`s arms.

The couple also revealed William had carried out the first nappy change before heading back inside the private Lindo Wing and placing their son in a car seat.

31-year-old Kate said: "It is a very emotional moment, like any new parent would know".